Ocho Rios company ready to fill gap with ban on plastics, Styrofoam

Effective January 1, 2019, there will be a ban on some single-use plastic products and styrofoam.

To provide options to Jamaicans when the ban on single-use on plastic bags, straws, and Styrofoam takes effect on January 1, Bio-Packaging Solutions Ltd (BPSL) is offering 100 per cent compostable products as good replacements.

These products, which include takeout containers, cups, straws, and utensils, have been produced in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved facility in Ocho Rios, St Ann, which is key for those worried about safety.

"All our products are 100 per cent compostable and produced in an FDA-approved facility. They are completely safe, and above all else, will keep our environs clean and more conducive to higher standards of living," the company's director, Michael Miller, said.

"Essentially, we must become a more environmentally responsible society. The average lifespan of single-use plastic is 400 years. That means every straw, lunch box, or plastic fork you have ever used will outlive you. BPSL is committed to not only providing alternatives, but to changing the way Jamaica looks at the environment."

With a relatively short time left before the implementation of the ban, BPSL, along with other companies, are anticipating a great demand supplying individuals and entities with biodegradable containers and other materials.

On September 17, the Government of Jamaica first announced plans to ban certain single-use plastics and Styrofoam.